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Tag Archives: Switzerland
Track of the day: The bianca Story – ‘Coming Home’
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It’s been a momentous year for The bianca Story. In the wake of critical acclaim at home in Switzerland, they absconded to London to record their as-yet-untitled second album in the hallowed halls of London’s Abbey Road Studios, with the intention of reinventing themselves as purveyors of good honest pop, with lashings of heart and soul.
All was going swimmingly, until the tragic death of their manager and creative inspiration Nigel Day upon their return to Basel to mix the album. Working through their shock and grief, the band nonetheless managed to win the coveted 2010 Basel Pop Prize in November, and press ahead with release plans for the new album.
Despite being recorded before his death, ‘Coming Home’, the alt-country influenced first single, seems eerily prescient in its heartfelt, melancholy yearning for a physical and spiritual homecoming – the sadness is almost palpable. It’s the song you listen to when your heart has been broken into pieces, stomped on and left with dirty treadmarks, the song that brings tears to your eyes and a lump to your chest when you are desperate for a cathartic emotional release. Wonderful.
If ‘Coming Home’ is any indication of the new material, then I seriously cannot wait for the new album (I’m even willing to overlook the strange capitalisation of their name, grammar nazi that I am).
Directed by Gregor Brändli, and dedicated to Nigel Paul Day, ‘Coming Home’ is the band’s ‘call to life’. It was Nigel Day’s idea to release it as the first single from the new album, and it now exists as a poignant tribute to him. I dare anyone to watch it and not be moved.
‘Coming Home’ is out now as a digital download and limited edition CD. The bianca Story’s second album is released in Spring 2011.
The bianca Story play @ Papiersaal tonight Saturday 18.12.10.
Track of the day: Aie ça Gicle – ‘Dressed in Leather’
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Ah, Aie ça Gicle, the best and brightest hope of the Swiss alt rock music scene. I tried to resist the temptation to like them…[*must...resist...tractor ...beam*]… but failed dismally. Damn you, band-with-the-unpronounceable-name! Now I am forced to play ‘Dressed in Leather’ on endless high rotation. A little bit Deerhunter, a lot Sonic Youth – all from 4 guys from Basel. Two years in the making, their first album S.Y.R.U.P is a hypnotic exercise in noise rock guitars and Oliver Falk’s mantra-like, atonal vocals. Just try getting the refrain ‘Whatcha whatcha wanna…’ out of your head once you’ve heard it a few times.
Aie ça Gicle play @ Boschbar, Zurich 29.11.10, and @ Mars Bar, Zurich 15.01.11
S.Y.R.U.P is out now on Anker Platten.
Interview: Christopher Christopher @ Zurich Openair 29.08.10
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On narcissim, Nimbin and Volksmusic
It’s unreasonably early (for me at least) on a cold and muddy Sunday morning, and I’ve just waded through a few acres of mud to speak to young Swiss band Christopher Christopher after their great gig on the last day of the inaugural Zurich Openair festival. Matthias (guitar/vocals) and Olivier (guitar/vocals) are relaxing backstage, surreptitiously trying not to stare at Kate Nash at the next table. Hailing from nearby Baden, Christopher Christopher are a bright new spot on the Swiss music scene, as evidenced by their winning of the 2009 M4Music Demo Clinic. They’ve played the Montreux Jazz Festival and Open Air St Gallen this year, and supported Stereophonics at their recent Zurich gig with their sweet, fresh pop sounds. Things are definitely looking promising for a band who didn’t really plan to make music their career.
Placebo tour the ancient world, 2010-style
Riga, Latvia 2009 Image © Innu Nikamu
The Placebo boys and girl are currently enjoying a well-earned breather for a month or so before embarking on their second summer festival season touring their most recent album, Battle For The Sun. The band have been very busy bees, meeting presidents, donating money, recording secret sessions (more on that later) and playing around South America, all following their heat stroke-inducing Australasian tour.
They have a bumper crop of shows coming up this summer (Israel, Lebanon, Spain, Greece, and the rest of Europe), including quite a few shows that are being held in wonderful locations such as a baroque Italian villa, an ancient Roman monastery, an ancient bull-fighting ring and a medieval town. Are the members of Placebo secret history buffs? Maybe! (I’m sure I saw a copy of Edward Gibbons’ The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire peeking out of Brian Molko’s manbag). It would be hard to resist the temptation of playing in such beautiful surrounds, with the echoes of history all around you – surely better than a soulless stadium in the middle of nowhere.
For US fans – still no word on when or even if the US tour that was cancelled last year due to Mr Molko’s illness will be rescheduled…
Check below the jump for the full Placebo 2010 tour schedule, current as of now. I’m sure they will squeeze more shows in somewhere, however.
Gurten Festival – official presale tickets available now
Official presale tix to the Gurten Festival in Bern went on sale today.
No names announced til around the middle of April though…
